Saturday, June 2, 2012

Bees, Bumblebees, and Hornets in the Bible


An evangelist friend recently asked for some information on bees in the Bible because of a dream he had about bumblebees, and also a recent experience with "killer bees."  He also asked for information about the Canaanites, which will be posted seperately.  Because of that study, I am also including links and references to hornets, a related species.  [References are in the King James Version, but will soon be linked to a polygolot bible.]  I am also including references to "honey," which is produced by bees.

The following are all of the order Hymenoptera:

Bumblebee: family Apidae, genus Bombus

Western or European honey bee:  family Apidae, genus Apis
      The African honey bee is a subspecies; the Africanized honey bee or "killer bee" is a hybrid
      of the African and European subspecies.

Hornet: family Vespidae, subfamily Vespinae, genus Vespa
      The best known species is the European hornet.  See also the Asian giant hornet.


Bible references for “bee," “bees”

Deuteronomy 1:44
And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do , and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah.

Isaiah 7:18
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

Ben Sira 11:3
The bee is little among such as fly; but her fruit is the chief of sweet things.

Judges 14:8
And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.

Psalm 118:12
They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.


Bible references for “hornet”

Exodus 23:29
And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.

Deuteronomy 7:20
Moreover the LORD thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left , and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.

Joshua 24:12
And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.
Bible references for “honey”

Exodus 3:8
And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Exodus 16:31
And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

Leviticus 2:11
No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.

Numbers 16:13-14
Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?
Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.

Deuteronomy 6:3
Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.

Deuteronomy 31:20
For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat ; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.

Joshua 5:6
For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed , because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

Judges 14:8-9
And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.
And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating , and came to his father and mother, and he gave them,
and they did eat : but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.

2Chronicles 31:5
And as soon as the commandment came abroad , the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.

Psalm 19:10
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Psalm 81:16
He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

Proverbs 24:13
My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

Proverbs 25:16
Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.

Proverbs 25:27
It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.

Isaiah 7:15, 22
Butter and honey shall he eat , that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.

Jeremiah 41:8
But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare , and slew them not among their brethren.

Ezekiel 16:13
Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen , and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful , and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.

Ezekiel 17:17
Judah, and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants : they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith, and Pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm.

Matthew 3:4
And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

Revelation 10:9-10
And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up ; and it shall make thy belly bitter , but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up ; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter .

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